The Upper East Regional Communications Officer of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, has downplayed the significance of the newly inaugurated “Lions of Bolga” security volunteer group, insisting that political vigilantism no longer determines electoral outcomes in Ghana.
His comments come amid growing public concern following the launch of the 42-member group in Bolgatanga by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). The group, which says it was established to provide security for party activities and protect the party’s interests ahead of the 2028 general elections, has sparked widespread debate on social media, with some citizens expressing fears that political vigilante groups could be making a comeback despite Ghana’s legal prohibition of such organisations.
Responding to Kumasimail in an interview, Salifu said the formation of the group would have no impact on the NDC’s electoral prospects.
“What I know is that vigilantism doesn’t win elections in Ghana anymore. Elections are not won by going around with macho men or placing them at polling stations. That will neither scare people nor stop them from exercising their constitutional right to vote,” he said.
He argued that Ghana’s democracy has matured beyond the era when physical intimidation could influence electoral outcomes.
“They can even inaugurate thousands of such groups. If the people of Ghana are satisfied with the governance style of the NDC, they will continue to vote for us. If they are unhappy with us, they will vote us out,” he stated.
Salifu pointed to the outcome of the 2024 general election, saying the NDC’s victory demonstrated that party-affiliated security groups could not alter the will of the electorate.
“When Ghanaians were unhappy with them in 2024, they gave us a margin of about 1.7 million votes. They could have deployed millions of macho men to polling stations and we would still have defeated them by the same margin,” he said.
The NDC regional spokesperson also referenced Ghana’s legal framework banning political vigilante organisations, although he stopped short of accusing the newly formed group of breaking the law.
“There is a law banning political parties from forming vigilante groups in Ghana. If they choose to do so, that is up to them. What I know is that this will not add a single vote to what they obtained in the last election,” he added.
His remarks follow mixed reactions from the public after videos of the group’s inauguration circulated on social media. While some supporters defended the initiative as a legitimate volunteer security arrangement, others called on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the group, warning that the development could reignite memories of politically affiliated vigilante groups whose activities prompted Parliament to enact legislation outlawing such organisations.
Asked whether the NDC feared the emergence of similar groups among its own supporters, Salifu disclosed that the party was consulting its leadership before deciding on any formal response.
“We are consulting our party leadership. Whatever advice we receive, we will follow. If we are advised to petition the police or any other state institution, we will do so. But we have gone beyond the stage where macho men determine election outcomes,” he said.
He maintained that the governing party would not allow the issue to divert its attention from governance and development.
“For now, we are focused on concerns over a road project that we believe was poorly executed. We will not allow their so-called Lions of Bolga to distract us from addressing an important development issue,” Salifu said.
The launch of the “Lions of NPP” has reopened public debate over political security groups ahead of the 2028 elections, with security analysts and sections of the public expected to closely monitor how state security agencies respond to the development.
As of publication, the Ghana Police Service had not issued any public statement regarding the group’s formation or whether it intends to investigate its activities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
